Drawing Near to God

God’s word contains a powerful promise: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8, NKJV). 

This is a great promise of victory over all sin. Yet you cannot produce this victory yourself. You can’t cleanse your own hands or purify your own heart. Do you want clean hands and a pure heart? Do you want victory over guilt, temptation and every evil pursuer coming against you? Then you must draw near to God and believe he is near you. It all hinges on the nearness of God. Draw near him, believe he is with you, and he will take care of all the enemies in your flesh.

You may ask, “But how do I draw near to God?” The answer is very simple. Just go to the Lord and talk to him anytime, anywhere, all day long. In the shower, on the way to work, on the job, everywhere speak to him, drawing near in full assurance of faith. 

Years ago, I worked with the late Kathryn Kuhlman. That dear woman of God used to work seventeen hours a day. I often wondered, “When does she ever have time to shut herself in her secret closet and pray?” 

Then I realized that she always seemed to be muttering to herself. She was praying! She prayed as she drove her car and rode in elevators. She talked to the Lord everywhere she went. 

One day, she told me, “David, the Bible says to pray without ceasing. I talk to the Lord all day long. He’s just as real to me as you are. I don’t have to run somewhere to try to get in tune with him because we talk all the time.” 

Beloved, God is always there for you. I believe in secret-closet praying, but your secret closet can be on the subway, in your car or anywhere you shut yourself in with him. When you practice drawing near to God all day long, he draws near to you.